George Entwistle named as new BBC director general | Radio Times George Entwistle named as new BBC director general The former Director of BBC Vision will replace the outgoing Mark Thompson later this year Comments Susanna Lazarus and Chloe Oliver 10:43 AM, 04 July 2012 George Entwistle has been announced as the next director general of the BBC, after a final round of interviews took place in London yesterday. Entwistle, who is currently director of BBC Vision will take over from Mark Thompson later this year. Entwistle began his career as a writer and magazine editor before joining the BBC in 1989 as a Broadcast Journalism trainee. Following a spell as assistant producer on Panorama, he went on to become editor of BBC Two’s flagship programme Newsnight in 2001, starting the day before the 9/11 attacks for which the show won five RTS Awards. Described as a "loyal BBC soldier" he has held numerous positions within the BBC, including Head and Commissioning Editor of TV Current Affairs, Acting Controller of BBC4 before being appointed director of BBC Vision last year.

Overseeing the commission of programmes including Call The Midwife, Birdsong and Frozen Planet, he recently suffered criticism following the BBC's maligned coverage of the Diamond Jubilee. It is understood that a shortlist of four candidates were each grilled in 90 minute sessions conducted by the BBC Trust chairman, Lord Patten, and his deputy, Dianne Coyle yesterday. Those also believed to have made it through to the final round were Caroline Thomson, the BBC chief operating officer, and Ofcom chief executive, Ed Richards. Despite speculation surrounding the fourth candidate bidding to succeed Thompson, their name is as yet unknown. Following today's appointment George Entwistle said, "I’m delighted the Chairman and Trustees think I’m the right person for the job. Mark Thompson will be a tough act to follow. But it’s a privilege to be asked to lead the greatest broadcasting organisation in the world and a privilege to be able to continue to serve our audiences in this new role." Outgoing Mark Thompson added: "I think this is a brilliant appointment. George has shown himself to be an outstanding leader with an intuitive understanding of public sector broadcasting. He has a formidable track record as a programme maker and in recent years has also shown his calibre as a leader.

I wish him and the BBC every success in the years to come." Thompson has served as DG since May 2004, having previously worked as BBC’s Director of Television and Chief Executive of Channel 4. He announced his departure in March 2012 and will step down from the role after the London 2012 Olympic Games. Like this? Share it. Ariel - George Entwistle named as next BBC director general 4 July 2012 Last updated at 10:37 George Entwistle named as next BBC director general Entwistle started his career at the BBC as a journalism trainee in 1989 Profile: George Entwistle George Entwistle will be the next director general of the BBC, the BBC Trust announced today. Director of BBC Vision since 2011, Entwistle is currently responsible for BBC One, Two, Three and Four as well as for BBC Films. He will take over from Mark Thompson as director general on 17 September. Entwistle is 'a creative leader for a creative organisation' said BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten, who lead.

'His experience of making and delivering great programmes that audiences love - built up through many years of working for the corporation - will prove invaluable as he and his team work to ensure the BBC remains the greatest broadcaster in the world,' he added. Mark Thompson described it as a 'brilliant appointment', while his 'excited' successor said it would be 'a privilege' to lead the corporation. Entwistle was previously controller of Knowledge Commissioning and Vision's controller of editorial standards. He joined the BBC in 1989 as a broadcast journalism trainee, before becoming assistant producer on Panorama. In a career that embraced current affairs and factual programme making, he was deputy editor of Tomorrow's World, editor of Newsnight and executive editor of topical arts, when he launched BBC Two's Culture Show. He was appointed head and commissioning editor of current affairs in 2005. Thompson announced in March that he would be standing down from his position after the Olympics. With nearly eight years in the job, he has been the BBC's longest-serving director general since the 1970s. His tenure has seen the BBC suffer scandals including the Sachsgate affair and a series of budget cuts and staff redundancies.

Entwistle will have to settle for a smaller salary than the £671,000 earned by Thompson. As part of a long-standing pledge to cut senior management costs at the corporation, he will earn £450,000 per year - £221,000 less than his predecessor. Expectations In his new role, Entwistle will be responsible for the BBC's services across television, radio and websites and for a global workforce of 20,000. His first priority will be to prepare the BBC for the review of its Royal Charter. The original job advert asked for 'an inspirational leader with the strong, clear vision that will take the BBC through the next review of the Corporation's Charter, ready for the world as it will be in 10 or 15 years' time.' While Entwistle has programme making experience, this was not seen as an essential requirement in the job advert. Instead the advert stated 'Candidates will bring extensive experience of leadership in a creative organisation, and demonstrate a clear understanding of the public service ethos underlying the BBC.' It listed editorial judgement a 'must have', along with an international mindset.

In an email to all BBC staff Entwistle warned he'll be quiet for a while: 'You won't be hearing a lot from me over the next couple of months, because Mark will be leading us through the great summer we have planned and I want to spend as much time as I can listening to you and hearing what you think the future holds.' More on This Story George Entwistle appointed BBC director general | Media | The Guardian George Entwistle George Entwistle appointed BBC director general Former Newsnight editor and current controller of BBC Vision has pledged to return the broadcaster to its creative roots Wednesday 4 July 2012 18.50 EDT First published on Wednesday 4 July 2012 18.50 EDT Close This article is 4 years old Former Newsnight editor George Entwistle has been appointed the next director general of the BBC, pledging to return the broadcaster to its creative roots and cut back further on bureaucracy. Entwistle gained the most powerful role in British broadcasting just days before his 50th birthday on Sunday and was immediately charged by the man who appointed him, BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten, to make the BBC "10 or 20% better".

Currently the controller of BBC Vision overseeing all of the corporation's TV channels and programme-making departments, Entwistle pipped his colleague, BBC chief operating officer Caroline Thomson, to the top job. He will oversee an organisation with more than 22,000 employees and total BBC revenues of nearly £5bn. Thomson, who would have been the first female director general in the BBC's 90-year history, said she was "very disappointed" and looks likely to leave the corporation after Entwistle succeeds Mark Thompson in September. Ed Richards, chief executive of media regulator Ofcom, was also shortlisted. The appointment caps a remarkable rise for Entwistle who joined the BBC 23 years ago as a news trainee. He went on to work for Panorama and Tomorrow's World, and edited Newsnight before switching to various senior roles in the upper echelons of the corporation including controller of knowledge commissioning and acting controller of BBC4. A low-profile figure who will have to grow accustomed to the spotlight, Entwistle did his best to avoid it on Wednesday by declining to answer journalists' questions as he was formally unveiled by Patten outside the newly refurbished Broadcasting House in central London.

A frontrunner for the role since Thompson announced in March he would step down after the Olympics, Entwistle's candidature appeared briefly beset by criticism of the BBC's diamond jubilee coverage in which he was closely involved. Nearly 5,000 viewers complained about the BBC's coverage of the jubilee flotilla, which included elementary mistakes by some of its presenters and Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton discussing a royal-themed sick bag. But the BBC Trust was said to have been impressed with Entwistle's presentation and handling of the questions asked of him, despite the jubilee furore which drew criticism from MPs and some of the corporation's own presenters. Sources said his pitch to Patten and his fellow trustees centred on returning the BBC to a creative organisation and cutting out unnecessary bureaucracy. Entwistle said he was "privileged to be leading the greatest broadcasting organisation in the world" and said his friend and predecessor Thompson would be a "tough act to follow". He added: "I'm delighted that the chairman and trustees have decided I'm the right person for the job, and I'm very excited about all that lies ahead.

I love the BBC and it's a privilege to be asked to lead it into the next stage of its creative life." Patten said the challenge for the new director general was to continue to improve the BBC's programmes at a time of financial restraint – the BBC's licence fee was frozen in 2010 – and retain the support of the viewing and listening public. "The BBC can be and should be 10 or 20% better than it is," said Patten. Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman described Entwistle as "clever, erudite, a man, critically, who reads books, a man with a sense of humour and a great degree of irreverence, not least about the BBC. I like him." Paxman said Entwistle was "put through the wringer" during the David Kelly affair after the programme's science editor Susan Watts told him that the weapons inspector was a source of her reports on Iraq's military capabilities. "The BBC went through one of its characteristic spasms," Paxman told Radio 4's PM. "When they were attempting to discover who had said what to whom they lent on him extremely hard.

They put him under extreme pressure which he withstood." Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt said Entwistle had to retain the corporation's "gold standard", adding: "There couldn't be someone with more experience of how the BBC works, with more diverse experience," he added. "He is someone who is hugely respected both inside and outside the organisation." Critics have suggested Entwistle is "untried" at the highest level after just 15 months in the BBC Vision role. Asked about perceived lack of commercial experience, the trust chairman described him as a greatly respected cultural leader who was experienced in exploiting the BBC's programmes around the world. Patten said he was the unanimous choice of the BBC Trust, which also interviewed a fourth, unidentified outside candidate for the role. Criticism of senior BBC executive pay means Entwistle's salary of £450,000 is less than the £617,000 earned up by his predecessor. Patten defended Entwistle's pay packet, saying it was considerably less than some commercial television executives earned. "[It is a] reasonable salary for a public service job," he said.

"More than reasonable." His appointment met with the approval of Thompson, who singled him out as his preferred candidate and described him as an "outstanding leader with an intuitive understanding of public sector broadcasting". A father-of-two who lives in south London, Entwistle grew up in Yorkshire and attended the independent Silcoates School in Wakefield before studying philosophy and politics at Durham University. Colleagues describe him as a "safe pair of hands" and a "loyal BBC soldier". Erudite and enthusiastic, he is said to have a "huge amount of energy, oodles of enthusiasm and is very hands-on". BBC staffers not already familiar with their new boss may also like to know that he is a stickler for punctuality. "He is quite different from a lot of BBC managers, in that he deals with meetings very well and they never over-run," said one colleague. "He never rambles." Entwistle has spent his entire career at the BBC apart from a stint at Michael Heseltine's Haymarket magazines in the 1980s, where he worked on hi-fi and camera magazines and reviewed classical CDs.

Asked about the missed opportunity to appoint the first female director general, Lord Patten told the BBC: "While we had some very good women who applied, we chose the best candidate and I think that's what the women on our shortlist would have wanted us to do." In a statement, Thomson said: "Of course I am very disappointed not to have been appointed director general. It would have been a wonderful honour to lead such a brilliant organisation. But if it couldn't have been me, then George is absolutely the right choice." The decision not to appoint Ed Richards could prove a challenge for him in his role as the head of Ofcom, which has some regulatory powers over the BBC. He will now have to be seen to be completely impartial over anything involving the BBC. Entwistle's elevation creates another vacancy at the top of the corporation, with BBC1 controller Danny Cohen, another former Newsnight editor Peter Barron, who quit to join Google and Entwistle's number two Emma Swain, among the contenders to succeed him as head of BBC Vision.

What's in George Entwistle's in-tray • Complete the £700m round of cost-cutting begun by Mark Thompson's Delivering Quality First review • Build bridges with his BBC colleagues who didn't get the top job – and appoint his successor as director of BBC Vision • Hold onto the corporation's big-name presenters and what's left of the BBC's sports portfolio in the face of intense competition from commercial rivals • Mollify trade unions who called on him to reverse the latest cuts and prepare to deal with further budget shrinkage in the future • Prove that the near £1bn the BBC will spend on its new BBC North HQ in Salford is money well spent • Renew the BBC's entertainment offerings by finding successors to long-running shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and following the mixed performance of The Voice • Develop a technology strategy, after the runaway success of the iPlayer, for the mobile era • Pave the way for a new charter and licence fee settlement in the run-up to 2017 No warm welcome for the corporation's new chief, with the Telegraph, Times and Independent all sticking the boot in.

By Lisa O'Carroll Published: 5 Jul 2012 Woman behind BBC's Stargazing and The Great British Bake Off and a Google executive among five contenders. By Mark Sweney and Tara Conlan Published: 4 Jul 2012 Editorial: The world's greatest programme-making enterprise has rightly been entrusted to an experienced programme-maker Published: 4 Jul 2012 Hurray! The new director-general of the BBC is another white middle-class man Published: 4 Jul 2012 George Entwistle named next BBC director general - BBC News BBC News George Entwistle named next BBC director general 4 July 2012 From the section Entertainment & Arts comments Media captionLord Patten announces George Entwistle's appointment as Director General of the BBC George Entwistle has been named the new director general of the BBC. Mr Entwistle, who is currently director of BBC Vision, will take over from outgoing director general Mark Thompson on 17 September.

Announcing the appointment outside BBC Broadcasting House, BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten said: "George is a creative leader for a creative organisation." The BBC Trust said Mr Entwistle would be paid an annual salary of £450,000. It is a smaller figure than the £671,000 earned by Mr Thompson, bearing out Lord Patten's repeated assertion that the next head of the BBC would have a smaller salary than their predecessor. 'Privilege' In his current role - where he is paid £285,000 - Mr Entwistle oversees the division responsible for commissioning, producing, scheduling and broadcasting all of the BBC's TV content. "I'm delighted that the chairman and Trustees have decided I'm the right person for the job and I'm very excited about all that lies ahead," he said. Analysis By Steve HewlettMedia Commentator I think the Trust thinks an insider, with all his creative ability, will be able to do all the difficult things that need doing. Improving the quality of programmes with 20% cuts is a tall order. Radical efficiency is required and the Trust was wrestling over whether an outsider could ever really see what needs to be done.

George can see it because he's an insider and as he has a good professional reputation. He will be able to do difficult things. I've no idea how the Trust compared the candidates but George obviously impressed them with his commitment and enthusiasm to the creative side of the BBC - and he is closer to that side than [the other BBC candidate] Caroline Thomson was. "Mark Thompson will be a tough act to follow but it's a privilege to be asked to lead the greatest broadcasting organisation in the world." Mr Entwistle - who will be celebrating his 50th birthday this weekend - was selected by a panel at the BBC Trust, the governing body of the BBC, led by chairman Lord Patten. Speaking at a news conference announcing the appointment, Lord Patten said the Trust had "unanimously decided" to hire Mr Entwistle. "George had a lot of the attributes that we hoped a director general of the BBC would have," he said. "At the heart of them is the ability to give leadership to a great creative organisation.

"While it's possible to do that if you haven't had a background in making programmes, there's greater credibility if you have, and he's got a great reputation as a cultural leader." Asked by the press whether the salary was higher than anticipated, Lord Patten said: "It's higher than some of you guessed but I can't help it if you guessed wrong. "It's actually less than anyone else in the sector... or what the heads of several newspapers are paid." 'Brilliant appointment' Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the BBC's Media Show that Mr Enwistle faced two key challenges. "The first is how you make sure that the BBC maintains its position as the gold standard for quality in British and global broadcasting, whilst managing the licence fee settlement. "The second thing is coping with the technology revolution. By the time this director general ends his term of office, we will be in a totally different place as far as the broadcasting technology works, "I think that's been one of Mark Thompson's major achievements - with innovations like the iPlayer, the BBC has been a leader in technology.

But I think that's going to be a very, very big challenge." Mr Thompson, who was rumoured to have singled out Mr Entwistle as his preferred candidate, said it was a "brilliant appointment". Image caption Mark Thompson said his successor had proved to be "an outstanding leader" "George has shown himself to be an outstanding leader with an intuitive understanding of public sector broadcasting," he said. "He has a formidable track record as a programme maker and in recent years has also shown his calibre as a leader. "I wish him and the BBC every success in the years to come." Mr Thompson will stand down from his post after the Paralympics, having spent eight years in the role. He is the BBC's longest-serving director general since the 1970s. His tenure has seen the BBC suffer scandals including the Sachsgate affair, and controversy over the tone of the coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee last month, in which Mr Entwistle also had a role. The corporation has also seen a series of budget cuts and staff redundancies in recent years. Yet Mr Thompson has also presided over successes including Strictly Come Dancing and Frozen Planet, and the launch of the BBC iPlayer.

The new director general's first priority will be to prepare the BBC for the review of its Royal Charter. The current charter, which expires in 2016, sets out how the BBC should be funded, what it does and how it is managed. George Entwistle announced as next Director General at the BBC, prepares for world service George Entwistle announced as next Director General at the BBC, prepares for world service 07.04.12 Dear Aunt TUAW: Can I use a third-party SSD with Lion? 08.01.11 Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me tame my bookmarks 03.31.11 BBC bringing iPlayer to iPod touch / iPhone 'in a matter of weeks' 02.20.08 Share Save The good-ship BBC won't steer itself, and it's just been announced that George Entwistle is the next to take the wheel. Currently director of BBC Vision (the Beeb's fancy name for TV,) Entwistle will take over from Mark Thompson , who announced back in March that he'd be leaving Auntie's warm embrace.

Appointment to the £450,000-a-year (about $702,000) role is always keenly observed, with much of the future direction of the broadcasting stalwart considered to rest on its shoulders. Entwistle cut his teeth on such programs as Tomorrow's World, Panorama and Newsnight, before working his way into more executive roles. Thompson will hold the fort until after the Olympics , before handing the (figurative) baton over to Entwistle. [Image courtesy: BBC] George Entwistle appointed as Director-General of the BBC The BBC Trust has today appointed George Entwistle as the Director-General of the BBC. George Entwistle, who is currently Director of BBC Vision, will take over from current Director-General Mark Thompson on a salary of £450,000 per year. Mark Thompson announced his intention to leave the BBC in March this year and will hand over to George Entwistle in the autumn. Announcing the appointment, BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten said: "George is a creative leader for a creative organisation.

"His experience of making and delivering great programmes that audiences love - built up through many years of working for the Corporation - will prove invaluable as he and his team work to ensure the BBC remains the greatest broadcaster in the world. "Above all George is passionate about the BBC, is committed to its public service ethos and has a clear vision for how it can harness the creativity and commitment of its staff to continue to serve audiences in ever more innovative ways." George Entwistle said: "I'm delighted that the Chairman and Trustees have decided I'm the right person for the job. And I'm very excited about all that lies ahead. I love the BBC and it's a privilege to be asked to lead it into the next stage of its creative life." Mark Thompson said: "I think this is a brilliant appointment. George has shown himself to be an outstanding leader with an intuitive understanding of public sector broadcasting. He has a formidable track record as a programme maker and in recent years has also shown his calibre as a leader. I wish him and the BBC every success in the years to come." Lord Patten added: "I once again want to pay tribute to Mark Thompson.

His creativity, vision and leadership have made him an outstanding Director-General of the BBC and he will be sorely missed." George Entwistle named as new BBC director general | Media | The Guardian BBC George Entwistle named as new BBC director general BBC's current director of vision and former editor of Newsnight will take over from Mark Thompson in the autumn Wednesday 4 July 2012 06.05 EDT First published on Wednesday 4 July 2012 06.05 EDT George Entwistle has been named as the new director general of the BBC . Currently the corporation's director of vision and a former editor of Newsnight , Entwistle will take over from Mark Thompson in the autumn on a salary of £450,000 a year. Entwistle beat his BBC colleague and the corporation's chief operating officer Caroline Thomson to the role. Ed Richards, chief executive of media regulator Ofcom, was also shortlisted. Announcing the appointment on Wednesday, BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said: "George is a creative leader for a creative organisation.

"His experience of making and delivering great programmes that audiences love – built up through many years of working for the corporation – will prove invaluable as he and his team work to ensure the BBC remains the greatest broadcaster in the world. "Above all, George is passionate about the BBC, is committed to its public service ethos and has a clear vision for how it can harness the creativity and commitment of its staff to continue to serve audiences in ever more innovative ways." Entwistle, who was Thompson's preferred candidate as his successor, said: "I'm delighted that the chairman and trustees have decided I'm the right person for the job. "And I'm very excited about all that lies ahead. I love the BBC and it's a privilege to be asked to lead it into the next stage of its creative life." Thompson, who announced in March that he would step down after the London Olympics after eight years in charge, said: "I think this is a brilliant appointment. "George has shown himself to be an outstanding leader with an intuitive understanding of public sector broadcasting. He has a formidable track record as a programme maker and in recent years has also shown his calibre as a leader.

I wish him and the BBC every success in the years to come." Patten paid tribute to Thompson, saying his "creativity, vision and leadership have made him an outstanding director general of the BBC and he will be sorely missed." The pay for the role has been hugely reduced by more than £200,000. Thompson – who has held the role since 2004 – is currently paid £671,000, giving an indication of the general belt-tightening for BBC executives. Entwistle's chances were at one stage thought to have diminished in the wake of the much-criticised BBC coverage of the Diamond Jubilee pageant, which came under his responsibility. Former Newsnight editor and current controller of BBC Vision has pledged to return the broadcaster to its creative roots Published: 4 Jul 2012 Editorial: The world's greatest programme-making enterprise has rightly been entrusted to an experienced programme-maker Published: 4 Jul 2012 Hurray!

The new director-general of the BBC is another white middle-class man Published: 4 Jul 2012 George Entwistle, a former editor of Newsnight, gives his reaction after being named as the new director general Published: 4 Jul 2012 George Entwistle Appointed as New BBC Director General – SceneTV Reposted from The Guardian George Entwistle has been named as the new director general of the BBC. Currently the corporation's director of vision and a former editor of Newsnight, Entwistle will take over from Mark Thompson in the autumn on a salary of £450,000 a year. Entwistle beat his BBC colleague and the corporation's chief operating officer Caroline Thomson to the role. Ed Richards, chief executive of media regulator Ofcom, was also shortlisted. Announcing the appointment on Wednesday, BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said: "George is a creative leader for a creative organisation. His experience of making and delivering great programmes that audiences love – built up through many years of working for the corporation – will prove invaluable as he and his team work to ensure the BBC remains the greatest broadcaster in the world.

Above all, George is passionate about the BBC, is committed to its public service ethos and has a clear vision for how it can harness the creativity and commitment of its staff to continue to serve audiences in ever more innovative ways." Entwistle, who was Thompson's preferred candidate as his successor, said: "I'm delighted that the chairman and trustees have decided I'm the right person for the job.And I'm very excited about all that lies ahead. I love the BBC and it's a privilege to be asked to lead it into the next stage of its creative life." Thompson, who announced in March that he would step down after the London Olympics after eight years in charge, said: "I think this is a brilliant appointment. "George has shown himself to be an outstanding leader with an intuitive understanding of public sector broadcasting. He has a formidable track record as a programme maker and in recent years has also shown his calibre as a leader.

I wish him and the BBC every success in the years to come." Patten paid tribute to Thompson, saying his "creativity, vision and leadership have made him an outstanding director general of the BBC and he will be sorely missed." This is the memo he sent to BBC staff when his appointment was announced: Dear all, I'm delighted the Chairman and Trustees think I'm the right person for the job. Mark Thompson will be a tough act to follow. But it's a privilege to be asked to lead the greatest broadcasting organisation in the world and a privilege to be able to continue to serve our audiences in this new role. I am proud to have worked with so many talented people across the BBC and am very much looking forward to working with all of you in future. You won't be hearing a lot from me over the next couple of months, because Mark will be leading us through the great summer we have planned and I want to spend as much time as I can listening to you and hearing what you think the future holds. All the best, George Entwistle Director-General Designate The pay for the role has been hugely reduced by more than £200,000.

Thompson – who has held the role since 2004 – is currently paid £671,000, giving an indication of the general belt-tightening for BBC executives. Entwistle's chances were at one stage thought to have diminished in the wake of the much-criticised BBC coverage of the Diamond Jubilee pageant, which came under his responsibility. For regular news, updates and opportunities, follow us on Twitter at @Scene_TV and 'Like' the Facebook page: Share this: Profile: George Entwistle - BBC News BBC News Close share panel Image caption Entwistle started his career at the BBC as a journalism trainee in 1989 George Entwistle has resigned as director general of the BBC in the wake of the Newsnight broadcast which wrongly implicated ex-senior Tory Lord McAlpine in a child sex abuse scandal. Mr Entwistle took up the post of director general on 17 September. He was selected by a panel from the BBC Trust, the governing body of the BBC, led by chairman Lord Patten.

Before that, he was Director of BBC Vision, a post he held since April 2011 and one which he has described as "one of the best television jobs in the world, if not the best". It involves overseeing all of the BBC's major TV channels, including BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four and BBC Films, and being a member of the BBC's Executive Board. As part of this, he recently had responsibility for the BBC coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The event attracted more than 4,500 complaints, mainly about the tone of presentation at the river pageant. Ample experience Having grown up in Yorkshire, Mr Entwistle studied Philosophy and Politics at Durham University before starting his career at Haymarket Magazines as a writer and magazine editor. On joining the BBC as a trainee, he worked as an assistant producer on Panorama, covering the first Gulf War and the fall of Margaret Thatcher. In January 1993, Mr Entwistle became a producer for On The Record, before joining BBC Two's flagship current affairs programme Newsnight.

There he rose from producer to editor, taking up his post in 2001 one day before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Prior to that Mr Entwistle had spent time away from current affairs, joining the science department for two years in 1999 to become deputy editor of BBC One show Tomorrow's World. In 2004 he left Newsnight for a new Topical Arts Unit in BBC Arts, where he launched BBC Two's The Culture Show and executive produced arts films. In late 2005 he was appointed Head and Commissioning Editor of TV Current Affairs. As part of BBC Television's factual commissioning team, he and Peter Fincham, then Controller of BBC One, brought Panorama back to a weekday peak-time slot. He commissioned documentary series including The Conspiracy Files and Michael Cokerell's series Blair: The Inside Story. In his next role, as acting controller of BBC Four, Mr Entwistle was in charge of the channel during the first runs of Mad Men and Flight Of The Conchords.

He also commissioned the Golden Age of Steam season, which saw the channel achieve huge ratings for shows such as Julia Bradbury's Railway Walks series and Ian Hislop's documentary on the Beeching closures. In January 2008 Mr Entwistle became Controller of Knowledge Commissioning, where he championed high-profile seasons such as 2010's World of Wonder. The year of science programming on the BBC increased its science audience reach by more than four million people. He also oversaw a range of award-winning programmes including Life, Boys Don't Sing and Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts. Before being appointed Director of BBC Vision in April 2011, Mr Entwistle coordinated the coverage of 2010's Papal Visit across radio and television and spent time working on Mark Thompson's Creative Future strategy review. As acting director of BBC Vision, he was responsible for the move of QI back to BBC Two and triple RTS award-winner Miranda to BBC One. When interviewed about applying to take the job on permanently he said he had "an enormous amount of passion" for the BBC. "It's a fantastic organisation and I love it as deeply as it's possible to love an organisation," he added.

George Entwistle's statement in full - BBC News BBC News George Entwistle's statement in full 10 November 2012 Close share panel Media captionGeorge Entwistle and BBC Chairman Lord Patten give their statements outside Broadcasting House George Entwistle has announced he is stepping down as BBC director general in the wake of a broadcast on Newsnight which led to an ex-senior Tory being wrongly implicated in child sex abuse at Welsh children's homes. He also sent a letter to the BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten. The two men spoke to the media outside outside New Broadcasting House in central London. Here are the statements in full, as well as their exchange of letters. Mr Entwistle said: "In the light of the fact that the director general is also the editor-in-chief and ultimately responsible for all content, and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2nd November, I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down from the post of Director-General.

"When appointed to the role, with 23 years' experience as a producer and leader at the BBC, I was confident the Trustees had chosen the best candidate for the post, and the right person to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead. "However the wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader. "To have been the director general of the BBC even for a short period, and in the most challenging of circumstances, has been a great honour. "While there is understandable public concern over a number of issues well covered in the media - which I'm confident will be addressed by the Review process - we must not lose sight of the fact that the BBC is full of people of the greatest talent and the highest integrity. "That's what will continue to make it the finest broadcaster in the world." Lord Patten said: "This is undoubtedly one of one of the saddest evenings of my public life. "George Entwistle has worked for the BBC for nearly 23 years. He exemplifies the finest values of public service broadcasting. At the heart of the BBC is its role as a trusted global news organisation.

And as the editor in chief of that news organisation George has very honourably offered us his resignation because of the unacceptable mistakes - the unacceptable shoddy journalism - which has caused so much controversy. "He has behaved as editor with huge honour and courage and would that the rest of the world always behaved the same. "George was set on putting in place a number of reforms and changes which will be required in this great organisation and it's a real tragedy that he was overwhelmed, as we all were to a great extent by these events before he was able to act in a way which is clearly necessary. "As from tomorrow, the acting general will be Tim Davie and we will of course begin the process of agreeing a permanent successor. "I'm not going to answer any questions this evening but tomorrow I'm doing a number of interviews including one with Andrew Marr at nine O'clock so you will be able to ask some questions then if you have any.

"But for the time being I would just like to say again that George Entwistle has behaved extremely honourably in the best standards of journalism of integrity." George Entwistle Becomes Director-General Of BBC | The Huffington Post George Entwistle Becomes Director-General Of BBC 04/07/2012 10:55 | Updated 04 July 2012 George Entwistle, currently Director of BBC Vision, is to replace Mark Thompson as the Director-General of the BBC, the BBC Trust announced on Wednesday. The 49-year-old former director of Newsnight has a background in Current Affairs, as deputy editor of BBC One's sceience show Tomorrow's World. He also launched the Culture Show for BBC Two. He will take over from Thompson on a salary of £450,000 in the autumn. George Entwistle is the BBC's new director-general As the BBC's vision director Entwistle was in charge of commissioning, producing and broadcasting across the broadcasting network's TV shows and the web. Entwistle was seen as a controversial choice because of his part in organising the BBC's much criticised Diamond Jubilee coverage.

George Entwistle said: "I'm delighted that the Chairman and Trustees have decided I'm the right person for the job. And I'm very excited about all that lies ahead. I love the BBC and it's a privilege to be asked to lead it into the next stage of its creative life." Mark Thompson said: "I think this is a brilliant appointment. George has shown himself to be an outstanding leader with an intuitive understanding of public sector broadcasting. He has a formidable track record as a programme maker and in recent years has also shown his calibre as a leader. I wish him and the BBC every success in the years to come." BBC Trust head Lord Patten said: "George is a creative leader for a creative organisation. "His experience of making and delivering great programmes that audiences love - built up through many years of working for the Corporation - will prove invaluable as he and his team work to ensure the BBC remains the greatest broadcaster in the world." Entwistle joined the BBC in 1989 as a Broadcast Journalism trainee. He lives in London and has two children. George Entwistle twitter reaction

Question: George Entwistle was announced in July as the next Director-General of which organisation?
Answer: B.B.C.